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Don't Wait For Windows 8.1 -- Get Its Two Best 'Features' Right Now

Windows 8.1 (codenamed “Blue”) will reportedly reinstate two sorely missed features, but there’s no need to wait for MicrosoftMicrosoft‘s update to get them.

If you’ve recently upgraded to Windows 8, perhaps you miss your old reliable companion, the iconic Start button. While the death of the PC has certainly been exaggerated, Microsoft’s axing of the Start button from Windows 8 certainly hasn’t helped its adoption.

Further aggravating users has been the Metro Modern UI, an elegant touch-friendly interface that morphs into the bane of your existence with the absence of a touch-friendly monitor or gesture mouse. Windows 8′s default boot procedure is to boot into this new app hub instead of the traditional desktop. (Psst, hey Windows Client team: You should be detecting the type of display a user has and booting Windows into either the desktop or Metro based on what they have.)

Here’s the truth: I love Windows 8 because of its snappy boot speed and reliability. But I also love it because I already have the Start button and the boot to desktop feature installed, courtesy of a single free piece of software called Classic Shell.

With more than 300,000 downloads per week, the demand for these absent features certainly exists. Some power users have been rocking this app since Windows 8 launched, but it definitely doesn’t have mainstream awareness yet. Let’s change that with these steps:

As I said, Windows 8 and its Modern UI interface is fantastic and intuitive on a touch screen, but even on the Surface Pro I still prefer booting into my trusty desktop. It’s humorous that two features of Windows 8.1 will simply be the reinstating of two essential features that users have embraced since Windows 95. But hey, now you can get back to familiar territory whether or not the Windows 8.1 rumors ring true.

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In my opinion, Microsoft has been ostracizing it’s power users. One of the first examples of this was the AWFUL ribbon introduced in Office 2007, with NO way to turn it off and revert to the “menu” driven interface. No “Up folder” in Windows Explorer? Why get rid of it? No Quick Launch? Why not? At least I was able to get that back. Not everyone uses there system the same way and pinning just didn’t work for me. I’ve always been a MSFT fan, but in the past few years, I’m actually contemplating moving away from this Operating System. I SHOULD NOT have to relearn the same software/OS over and over because someone at MSFT thought it would be “better”.

The reality is that Microsoft creates the software and can do whatever it wants with it. As a consumer, you can choose to buy or not to buy what they’re selling. So no one’s really forcing you to do anything.

Have you used Windows 8 on a touch device or tablet? It’s amazing! And those ribbon & tabs that you hate so much in Office actually come in handy.

Yeah… That’s a great attitude that every company should take. Who cares about the consumer, but do whatever we want and don’t listen. That’s working out pretty well for JCP’s CEO right now.

I have used W8 on a tablet and it’s nice, however, I use a laptop and desktop for business purposes and it’s NOT nice. …and why should I have to download/install add-ons for features that really should never have been removed in the first place. Sure, make the “new” interface the default, but don’t ostracize your power users. Poor decision making at the executive level if you ask me.

Not making changes would be good for microsoft if they didn’t want to make any money. Change is what keeps the world moving. Sometimes ideas don’t turn out as expected, but that is what it takes to build up towards a truly innovative idea. Something that is world changing. If change didn’t exist, we would still be beating our dinner to death with clubs.

and as the web moves forward and requires you to use a newer browser that I can’t load on XP or Windows 2000 what is one supposed to do? So I am forced to upgrade to an OS that offers me no advancement in the manner in which I use my computer. So you statement that no one is forcing us to do anything is not only wrong but slightly arrogant.

It’s absolutely amazing how lazy people are these days! Even Jason, the author, is just as lazy! What is so wrong with learning how to use something new? Windows 8 is an amazing OS, even if you don’t have a touchscreen! If there’s anything you need that works best in desktop mode, just pin the icon to the Metro IU. When you click on it, it’ll automatically launch the application from the desktop. Windows 8 can do so much. It’s just unfortunate that people would rather complain just like they did back when Office2K7 came out. Trust me, I know all about the complaints. Back in the day, I used to be the IT Director for one of the largest Residential Property Management companies in the nation. I was responsible for thousands of desktops and all people did was complain rather than roll up their sleeves and figure it out. Nothing but a bunch of lazy SOBS in this country!

“. As a consumer, you can choose to buy or not to buy what they’re selling. ”

I have documented proof, by way of more than 20 chat logs with Dell computer, as well as phone conversations, that this is a crock of crap.

I buy computers from Dell regularly, some for personal use. For weeks, I asked Dell if I could get some mainstream consumer-grade laptops without Windows 8. They said, “ No., then preceded to read from their friggin’ script to try to convince me that Windows 8 was ‘fast, fluid, beautiful’ I finally told them that I would never buy another product from them again, not even a memory stick, unless they gave me choice of OS. They said, “It’s not us. It’s Microsoft that’s calling the shots.”

Well, as is clear by now, Dell gave Microsoft the metaphorical foot, and started selling Windows 7 again, but you have to wait three weeks on some models. And I have good insider information that Dell is NOT happy with Microsoft for ‘forcing’ Dell to sell only Windows 8 in the first place.

Microsoft has a monopoly over hardware that it does not even make. That’s plain and simple. And now, if you buy that hardware, and you want to use UEFI secure-boot (which does NOT belong to Microsoft), you cannot use that PC to boot anything other than Windows 8.

i love the ribbon. i am glad i am seeing it in more applications. it really has helped with my productivity.

havent used win 8, but in 7 the up folder button no longer serves a purpose. you just click on the folder you want to go to in the path bar. you can go up one or as many folders as you like.

quick launch and pinning seem identical to me, with more features in pinning. pinning does take up more space, but that isnt an issue for me.

i understand frustration on relearning something. but honestly you sound like a bitter old man. i cant think of one change in win 7 or office 2010 that hasnt been an improvement. obviously it took time to learn my way around, but my reaction isnt ‘why did you make me waste time learning this change?’, it’s ‘why wasn’t it this way to begin with?’

If you order a pc with windows 8 loaded, install windows 7. If you cannot do this, that does not mean you do not have a choice, just not the ability to give yourself that choice. a quick google search and a copy of Windows 7 from your previous pc would have you up and running on the new system in no time.

the original poster obviously does not realize that half of the features they are complaining about are actually there and they just do not know how to use the computer. Pretty shocking for a self proclaimed “power user”. The “Up Arrow” in Windows explorer is actually available in Windows 8 and was NOT in Windows 7. But if you knew how to use it, being a power user and all, you would notice that you can simply click on the folder in the address bar at the top that you would like to jump back to. This is no harder or more confusing than using the “up arrow”. Second on the list is the quick launch bar. this is essentially the same thing as pinning the program to the start menu. You can right click on the icon to open a new window of that particular app and it groups the open windows into that icon. Oh, you dont like the grouping, well guess what? YOU CAN TURN IT OFF!! But ill let the “power user” get back to explaining why it is worse in the new version of windows. And if you dont like the ribbon, google “Quick Access Toolbar”, it lets you pick any specific icons or macros that you use from the ribbon and place them on a toolbar that is always visible and does not need to be picked through. It is totally customizable making it actually a lot better than the old “menu driven” format where you constantly had to be digging through menus to get what you wanted done. The only reason you think the menus are better is because you refuse to learn anything new. I guess we could stay on Windows 95 forever, just for you so you do not have to learn anything new.